"...
The descendant of God once again pleads to the Holy Father, hoping that you can respond to my prayer and give the light of holy healing to my mother who is suffering on the earth, so that she can be saved by the Holy Father and wash away all the sins caused by demonic possession. , can enjoy the blessings given by God again.
——Here, the prayer ends. "
This is a bright and quiet night with a full moon, and it is a time when ordinary people are deep in dreams.
In the Chris Cathedral, the only ancient church in Victor Town, the sparse candlelight was flickered by the night wind.
The softly whispered prayers were recited intermittently from the girl's mouth. Just like the voice of the prayer, there was a trace of youthful and awkward feeling.
Her voice and the feeling it brings can make others imagine a strange picture - a close-up scene like dead branches and pebbles gradually precipitating on the surface of the river.
Although this does not quite match the solemn prayer, it is quite unique.
In front of the tall and solemn statue of the Holy Father, a young girl reciting words held her hands and bowed half-kneeling.
It was obvious that she was not a traditional Christian and had no idea of the formal way of praying or how to make her voice reach the Holy Father.
But her figure still tried her best to show the greatest piety.
She recited the prayer again.
A moment passed quietly, and the girl slowly opened her eyes, recovering from her prayers. Her emerald green pupils lost their usual clarity and were filled with lingering melancholy.
At this moment, besides the flickering candlelight, the flowing moonlight and the noble statue of the Virgin, there was still one person watching her.
This man is the pastor who has lived in the church for a long time.
The pastor has not seen a living person visit the church for a long time.
"What a very filial child. It's so late, but I'm still praying for my sick mother."
The old man who had witnessed this scene for a long time finally walked out of the back room of the church and said this.
"Mr. Pastor, do you think the Holy Father...can he hear me?"
Looking up at the owner of the church, the girl then lowered her head and asked softly.
"God will definitely respond to you, good boy..."
This man approached the girl and gently stroked the girl's silky red satin hair. His eyes did not know when, but his eyes changed from gentle to abnormal. The girl also kept her head bowed and remained silent.
"I heard that the children in the town have been infected by the demonic disease. Some of them have even followed the demonic nature and fallen into hell."
The girl lowered her head and vaguely heard an obvious sound of swallowing.
"But don't be afraid. Because...you and them will be reunited in hell soon!"
The darkness throughout the lobby grew thicker. As if excited, the moment she raised her head slightly, she caught a glimpse of the priest's fierce face that suddenly became distorted.
The girl shouted "Devil" in her heart. An ominous wind began to sweep across it, seeming to penetrate everything visible.
Under the statue of the kindly Holy Father, in front of the innocent girl's eyes, the priest's Chris uniform was torn apart by the mass stirring inside it.
Among the tattered pieces of cloth that gradually fell to the ground, those huge gray-black muscles and bones appeared that were terrifying.
It has a lion's head, eagle eyes, crocodile neck, dog's mane, a body stronger than a grizzly bear, long arms and claws of a pterygoid connected with thick eagle wings, and a pair of powerful cheetah hind legs.
Such a psychedelic figure of an orc demon was so huge that it almost blocked the moonlight coming in from every window, and even blocked the girl's body.
The priest's glasses used in the devil's disguise fell to the ground. On the half-broken glass lens, the devil's ferocious face was reflected with a light source, smiling ferociously at its prey.
Under the ambiguous moonlight pouring in from the window sill, the demon that was only recorded and active in ancient legends reappeared in the world with its terrifying figure.
The dark monster, the devil that took off the divine appearance of a human priest, no longer prays for lengthy prayers before meals, no longer prays for reincarnation for food, no longer utters hypocritical words such as "May you be reincarnated", and just raises the It picks up a pair of claws and is about to pounce on the prey quickly.
It's too late, it's fast. It was a moment that was almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Before the claws appeared above her head, the girl quickly pulled out the dagger hidden in the burlap sleeves, and used the edge of the blade to resist the monster's claw attack at the critical moment.
Although the dagger is nearly half the length of an ordinary broadsword.
But for the girl, the monster's strength was unimaginable. Knocked away by the strong impact, she took a few urgent steps back as a buffer and almost retreated to the church door before she was able to stabilize her body. At the same time, she also put a considerable distance away from the monster.
Staring closely at the prey that was already within easy reach but escaped because of his own mistake, the demon who attacked the girl was surprised by her early vigilance.
And it felt a little strange from the beginning, and now I finally noticed: every movement of the girl was accompanied by the flow of wind.
Not only that, even if she is still, she is blessed by the mysterious wind curtain.
This is the main reason why she can see through the monster's sneak attack and draw her sword in an instant to receive the attack.
"Sure enough...it's you." The girl judged based on her previous experience.
"You were able to see through my disguise from the beginning... But little girl, you are asking for trouble tonight!"
"Anyway, you finally showed your true colors, devil!"
Throwing away the rough cloth that disgusted her so much and the damaged dagger, the girl stretched her body and stretched her muscles. At this time, the wind under the light-colored clothes is still biting.
The girl was secretly proud of her passable acting skills, and was able to lure out the demon living in the church as she wished.
In this way, it can be confirmed that the rumors about demons in Victor Town are indeed true.
"You killed the most respected pastor in Victor Town before, then disguised yourself as him and lurked in the church waiting for opportunities to do evil!"
The image of the "innocent girl" a moment ago was completely different from the weak voice when reciting prayers. The girl's words at this time were clear and bright, like the divine wind surrounding her, penetrating through the visible world in the church. thing.
"A mere child with yellow hair among humans dares to act wild in front of me! The human knights once sent so-called elites here, threatening to destroy me, but the result was not like this——
Their flesh and blood became the nutrition in my stomach, and their broken bones became the bricks and tiles in my lair!
It's a pity that my harvest today is neither a knight nor a legion, just a little girl who has not yet matured! "
The demon snorted, indicating that he was disgusted, and imitated the language used by humans to provoke.
"However, it's been a long time since I tasted the freshness and tenderness of a little girl's body!"
Seeing that the monster in front of her shamelessly insulted her, the girl tightened her face in displeasure, "No - I'm not the only one who can deal with monsters. Besides, it's enough for me and my companions to be here!"
Speaking of her companions, she declared confidently, her eyes drifting to another place unconsciously.
"Two?" The devil reacted. It turned out that the girl was still waiting for "reinforcements" from her companions.
The two of them had prepared for tonight's demon hunting operation and arranged it carefully.
The demon moved at a high speed that was incompatible with his strong body. The demonic breath that stirred the air carried a strong force and knocked away the benches and chairs blocking the way or close to him one by one. The prey he has targeted - a girl.
"Then I'll let you turn into a pile of bones before you get rescued——"
"Filsa!"
As if responding to the girl's words - a dark shadow flashed across the moonlit ground. Immediately, the window glass was shattered with a sharp weapon, and the fragments scattered in all directions.
A man burst in from the outside. He stepped on the solid railing above, then kicked off, quickly swooped down from the air and approached like a glider, and cut off the demon's right arm that was used to block him. The entire process is completed almost in the blink of an eye, leaving the enemy completely defenseless.
Even the only source of light, the flickering candlelight, was instantly extinguished by the ice brought by the man first, and then the scorching breath came and blended into the darkness of the church.
The demon stared at the enemy who had cut off one of his limbs with a pair of crimson eagle eyes that were twisted and almost terrifying.
The blood, severe pain and anger did not make the demon go crazy, but instead made it more and more excited inside.
At some point, a slimy ball of flesh had grown out of the severed part of his right arm, and the injured area was rapidly recovering.
"It was actually able to pass between me and the prey at a speed that even I couldn't see clearly, and "took away" my arm! What on earth is this..."
The devil stared cautiously at the man who broke into the church. Because he is wearing a coat of the same color as the night, his figure has a tendency to gradually enter the darkness, making it blurry and difficult to distinguish;
In contrast, he has white hair that escapes all darkness.
As for the long sword he held in his hand, it shone strangely in the night at this moment - it glowed with the red light of tongues of fire and burned uninhibitedly in the transparent ice-like blade.
Black and white, ice and fire, the man who broke into the church is like a combination of contradictions, a being that combines two extreme elements into one.
The devil showed an unprecedented sinister smile.
"Did all the powerful warriors in the human race die in the Northern Expedition? They actually sent two brats here. This makes me have no interest in ravaging them!"
After that, it laughed loudly.
Indeed, the pair of demon-defeating warriors in front of them had only just entered adulthood.
The girl rarely showed anger, while the man responded to the devil's provocation with silence. Not only that, with his figure as the center, the flaming color faded away, and quietly emitted a cold breath that could corrode the surrounding dark scene.
The magic factor, which is embodied in the form of blue particles, also gradually merges into this cold breath and spreads rapidly.
The magic swordsman who controls dual elements——Felsa ꔷDanlitel. This young man’s name.
The girl, who had been protected by the divine phoenix, began to sing faster without anyone noticing. Until the emerald green light rises from the ground, the demon-sealing formation covering the entire church is instantly created.
The Chaser——Shirley ꔷhausenwell. This is a girl's name.
"The followers of Chris are going to become dead souls in front of the Virgin Mary. What a huge irony! I will enjoy your flesh and blood in front of your God!"
As the wild words and laughter reached their ears, the two of them also felt that the devil's unique dark breath was becoming more and more pervasive.
Before its "hunting" has even begun, its demonic breath has already shown a devouring momentum.
"It is a big mistake to think that I will be merciful in front of Chris's Holy Mother. Mary is not my God. And there is no merciful God in this world!"
After mumbling a declaration of battle, the man recited a brief spell. Suddenly, a large amount of his own ice breath emerged. Vaguely, the element of fire, which is opposed to the element of ice, also quietly revived.
-
Late at night, early in the morning.
The two people who returned triumphantly from the church agreed to meet in front of the main entrance of the Adventurer's Guild. Before that, Filsa first went to the Knights Guild in Victor Town to explain the completion of the exorcism mission, while Shirley went back to change her clothes and put on makeup.
Just a few days ago, the Blade Knights to which Filsa belonged received a banquet from the Adventurer's Guild.
The Knights asked Philsa and Shirley to attend this grand late-night banquet as representatives.
But at this time, Filsa still did not appear. Shirley stood alone in front of the main entrance, staring blankly at the people going in and out.
It turns out that we are not the only ones who are late. However, you should come quickly!
The best makeup is almost melting away...
Shirley thought a little anxiously in her heart.
Until a familiar figure stepped into the dark sight.
Shirley gave him an annoyed look.
Firsa didn't notice her subtle expression, but was surprised that she was wearing a pure white dress that she hadn't seen her wearing for a long time. He felt a burst of joy and said, "Nice clothes... Let's go in quickly, it's getting late."
"I have the nerve to say that you are slower than me!"
"..." Shirley realized that from just now, he had glanced at her face intentionally or unintentionally, and in a moment he looked away.
"Is my makeup crooked?"
"No, it's not..." Filsa sighed, "I'm really sorry, I've been so tired today, and I still want you to accompany me to the banquet. But, "today"..."
It turned out that he was aware of Shirley's fatigue that could not be concealed by makeup, and felt that she had really worked hard today, so he felt guilty.
Because of this, Filsa decided to change the "plan." He smiled mysteriously, deliberately not continuing what he had said, and put his left hand into his pocket unnoticed.
"What?" She looked really listless. She didn't even show any extra energy to ask, and she could only keep herself up with a series of yawns.
"Shirley, happy birthday!" While congratulating her, an exquisite little gift box appeared on Filsa's open left hand.
"Huh?" After hearing this and seeing this scene, Shirley swallowed her yawn, and her smooth face was suddenly stained with cherry blossoms.
Filsa, who had always been careless, actually noticed that today was her birthday, which really surprised her.
In fact, ever since I went on an adventure with him as a companion, I no longer had time to care about my own trivial matters.
"Thank you... thank you." She responded shyly and took the gift box.
"It happens that there is a banquet tonight, and I originally thought that it would be more interesting to give it to you at the banquet. But I can't bear to see you looking listless now... Oh, why not open it now and put it on, I I think... it should be... very suitable for you!"
The bright red small box is very light, and it may not contain any valuable treasures.
What Shirley held in her hands was not just a gift.
When you open it, you will find a delicate earring set with diamond-shaped jadeite lying in the white velvet cloth.
Under the moon, the emerald color seemed to be brighter than anything else, just like Shirley's clear emerald eyes.
Shirley put it on carefully, and the feeling of ice between her ears made her completely forget her previous tiredness.
Filsa was secretly happy that tonight, this "special mission" that was different from the daily routine of killing enemies and exorcising demons, could finally be declared completed.
Then the two quickly entered the guild hall, and were led by the usher. The two arrived at the central banquet hall. Although it was already late at night, the guests' party was only halfway through.
Tonight's occasion was far more grand than Philsa could have imagined.
Celebrities and aristocrats from all walks of life gather here, singing, dancing, and drinking. Perhaps because late at night is the most leisure time for busy people.
The Adventurer's Guild is actually able to invite so many celebrities to gather together, which shows that its reputation is not what it used to be, and it is extraordinary.
Before the two of them stepped into the hall, the dance music had already played its final verse.
"It seems like this is the home of a famous family. Wouldn't we look a little shabby?"
"Don't say it...otherwise this feeling will get stronger and stronger."
Only then did Filsa remember to take out the long-prepared pair of pure white silk gloves from his pocket and put them on.
"By the way..." he said to himself, "Why didn't Captain Fang Ente attend in person, or sent a knight who was more in line with his noble status, but asked us two to come? In terms of status, I think Selis, who comes from a family of dragon knights, is more suitable to attend such a banquet."
"Well... maybe they are all busy at the moment!"
Seeing that Shirley was in a good mood, he stopped talking too much.
In fact, being able to attend such a party is also a good thing.
After all, today is indeed a very special day for Shirley personally. Normally, she was always busy for herself, but tonight it was just as long as she could enjoy herself.
This can be regarded as a small reward. As long as you have a good time tonight, someone will be satisfied.
However, it is a little regrettable that the Ten Thousand Flowers Ball, one of the themes of tonight's banquet, is coming to an end.
Philsa and Shirley, who had prepared carefully for this purpose, missed it.
At this point in the party, there is only free time left for the partygoers to communicate with each other.
From the crowd of nobles, a man walked toward Firza.
After looking at it carefully, he asked: "Your Excellency is wearing a silver wing feather badge. Could it be that you are a knight belonging to the "Silver Wings Knights"?" "
"That's right." The person who answered also counted the three inlays on this man's shoulders. "It turns out to be the "Emerald", His Excellency Marquis Alex, whom I have admired for a long time! "
From the brief conversation, we learned that Marquis Alex is also a well-known historian on the mainland, who studies and worships the history of the principality.
The Marquis found two empty seats nearby, motioned for Filsa to sit down with him, and enthusiastically filled a glass of red wine for the young man he had just met.
The two began to talk about the founding history of their motherland.
Although such a formal conversation was not something Filsa was used to, and it was also his first contact. However, since he was the representative of the Silver Wings, he could only do his best not to embarrass the Silver Wings.
"Since the establishment of the Principality of Valentino more than a hundred years ago, unprecedented achievements have been made in politics, economy, and magic technology, and the direction and future of development are also showing signs of smooth sailing.
The citizens of the principality finally got rid of the misfortune of the kingdom period and lived a prosperous life. All the achievements of the Principality today are due to the achievements of our ancestors! "
Firsa nodded and answered, "What the Marquis said is absolutely true. According to the general history of the principality, the ancient Valentino was originally a powerful feudal kingdom, but the tyranny of the king led to its demise.
The rulers only focus on the ambition to expand the country's territory and ignore the suffering voices of the people, which inevitably leads to strong public outrage. Among them, the first to lead the revolution was..."
"The pioneer who created the revolution was Alphonse, the leader of the Silver Knights, known as the "Glory of the Far North." Moreover, he used his own life to create today's "Holy Stone Age." The Silver Knights recorded in the ancient scrolls are the predecessor of the Noble Knights! "
Every time Marquis Alex talks about this, he can't help but give high-fives and praise.
"Our knights only remember the achievements of marching and killing enemies, and the creation of the principality, which includes the formulation of laws, the promotion of magical science, the spread of peace among the people, the recovery of the economy, and the revival of literature and art, are all thanks to Valentino The efforts of all the sages in the Council of Elders.”
These cheesy and polite words have become a fixed expression for big occasions for myself as a knight.
At this point, Filsa's expression became helpless and serious, "Although the 'Holy Stone Age' is more prosperous, prosperous and stable than any previous era, we, who are responsible for protecting the people, still cannot slack off. Especially recently, a group of monsters have been crawling in the dark and have begun to worship the human world. "
After hearing this, the Marquis asked why he came up with this warning. Felsa mentioned the demon rumors in Victor Town and tonight’s demonic attack on the temple.
"I see. No wonder Sir Filsa came late tonight. I didn't expect that just before attending the banquet, he would still be fighting on the front line against the demons!"
“Not only do monsters crawling in the dark pose a threat to us, but even the infectious disease “Demon Disease” recorded as a forbidden word in ancient books has reappeared in the world! "
This is by no means a one-sided statement by Philsa, nor an exaggeration, but the real situation that the knights encountered in the town recently.
People infected with the demonic disease can be found everywhere.
If they do not receive treatment in time, there are only two results waiting for them: die in pain, or continue to live as monsters that have lost their humanity.
Until the moment he was killed by knights or adventurers.
“The phenomenon of ‘demonic resurgence’ is indeed becoming more and more serious...” The Marquis frowned, and later said clearly: “Therefore, the principality is even more indispensable for rising stars like Filsa! "
"Senior, that's a compliment! I hope that one day I will be lucky enough to cooperate with the Marquis, go to the battlefield and fight the enemy side by side."
After saying that, the two laughed.
…
Shirley, who was left alone, kept looking away, feeling increasingly bored listening to the respectful conversation.
She thought to herself, how hypocritical the adults were in dealing with each other.
Although the Marquis seemed to sincerely admire Filsa.
In fact, Filsa himself felt helpless, because no matter what the occasion, including this banquet, which was almost always attended by nobles, etiquette always came first.
Moreover, he is also a representative of the Blade Knights.
But you must not lose your face in front of so many big shots.
However, he was still very lucky to have met a nobleman like Marquis Alex who was talkative and did not boast about himself.
Can he be regarded as a rising star? In this way, the guy who is supposed to be the representative of the Blade Knights can be called a rising star.
That young and promising dragon knight, his best friend.
It was getting late, and Firsa bowed to say goodbye to the Marquis.
Watching him go away, Alex raised his glass and drank it in one gulp, sighing in his heart: "The leader of the Silver Wings, Fang Ente, is indeed right. This guy is so similar to Alphonse! However, it makes What’s a pity is that he doesn’t yet possess Alphonse’s proof of strength—the “emblem”…”
-
"Conversing with him really made me nervous. I was always afraid that I would say the wrong thing... Just now I finally realized how important the aristocratic social etiquette I learned in the Knights is. Although I Far from being a noble."
"But I'm watching you and you're still chatting enthusiastically, aren't you?" Shirley intentionally or unintentionally emphasized the words "I'm standing by" in her words.
"Oh...I'm sorry, I left you alone." Filsa helplessly held his forehead, sweat beads moistening the surface of his gloves.
"It doesn't matter, it's not the first time."
A few steps away from the noisy central banquet hall, Filsa suddenly felt a blur of paleness in front of his eyes, and a feeling of dizziness immediately invaded his brain. In addition, it was accompanied by a severe pain in his left hand, as if he had been applying poison.
He, who was still chatting with great interest a moment ago, suddenly became confused.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sensing his discomfort, Shirley immediately turned around and helped Filsa up, returning to the nearby guest room that belonged to the two of them.
After returning to the room, she immediately brought a basin of cold water and washed Filsa's face.
After his dizzy brain was stimulated by cold water, he gradually woke up and felt temporarily relieved.
After a while, he lay on the soft bed with a look of obvious sleepiness on his face.
The anxious Shirley also calmed down and began to remove her makeup in front of the mirror. After a quarter of an hour, she threw away the napkin stained with makeup and oil, and returned to her usual bare makeup, with a pinch of slanted hair slicked back at will with her fingertips;
But she did not take off the emerald earrings that Firza gave her as a birthday gift.
Originally, she didn't like anything to restrict her.
Shirley is like the wind that comes and goes freely, yearning for a free and unrestrained state.
Now, there is finally someone who has become her destination. Just like there is such a place, which can make the wind linger and be reluctant to leave, and become the wind's eternal destination.
"Um...Shirley, you weren't injured in today's battle, were you?"
"This is what I should be asking you in return. Isn't it you who has been fighting the devil at the front?"
"It seems so."
"Also, what happened just now? You have been like this several times recently! Including tonight's battle, there were several mistakes at critical moments. Were they all caused by the dizziness caused by the blocked demonic veins?" She was concerned. and asked eagerly.
"To be honest... I'm not very clear either."
Recently, the flow of demonic veins in Filsa's body has not been very smooth. Shirley has noticed this for a long time, and the symptoms are particularly obvious today.
Speaking of tonight's battle, he is very dangerous.
If not for the cover and assistance of Shirley, who was in the rear, the battle lasted for about half an hour, and Filsa would probably have been injured.
It was impossible to attend the feast of the nobles unscathed, let alone talk about the history of the duchy with Marquis Alex.
Although Firsa has made great progress in swordsmanship after several months of training, the problem of poor demonic veins has still not been solved.
Demonic veins are the basis for a warrior to fight and use magic skills. They are similar to meridians and are spread throughout the body.
For Filsa, the role of the magic vein is even more important.
Because he does not rely solely on brute force like ordinary warriors. On the contrary, the main force that supports him in fighting is magic power.
Every swing, every jump, every turn, every movement is accompanied by the blessing of magic.
It can be said that the demonic vein is Firza's capital to fight against powerful monsters.
As the dominant hand and the node with the most abundant magic power in the demonic veins in his body, his left hand has been feeling severe pain recently, as if he was applying poison.
It would make sense to say it was stiffness and pain, because that was a symptom inherent to users of ice magic.
However, he had no idea where this poisonous pain came from.
Filza mused with confusion and uneasiness.
As Shirley shook the glass, the ice cubes made a crisp sound when they collided with the wall of the glass. A weak and peaceful wind echoed in the air.
"By the way, how much did you spend on this earring? It shouldn't be a cheap item from ordinary gem merchants, right? Many nobles have cast a surprised look at me today... Hey?"
Filsa behind him did not respond for a long time. When Shirley looked back, she realized that he had already fallen asleep after a tiring day.
"Hmph...it's always like this."
-
Attachment: Philsa’s journey diary - page one
In the 256th year of the Alchemy Year of the Principality of Valentino, on the 18th day of the Water Moon...
Guild commission-
The attack on the temple. Inhabiting the church are regenerative demons. With Shirley's cooperation, he successfully killed him, but he made many mistakes due to his own demonic blood problems.
But neither of us was seriously injured, which was extremely lucky.
daily-
Today is Shirley's birthday, which happens to coincide with the Adventurer's Guild dinner. Except for the Wanhua Dance, which we regretted missing, we all had a great time.
The jade earrings she had saved up for five months to buy were finally given away. She seemed very happy!
At the party, I met the "Emerald Marquis" and talked with him about the history of the Principality.
-
In a shabby little hotel in the town of Victrell.
The boy who had been lying in bed for more than several days finally woke up. The pain began to wreak havoc in the weak body again.
In his blurry and dim vision, the girl sitting at the small round table nearby stood up and walked towards him.
The outline of the girl reflected in his eyes was not very clear.
But what the young man was sure of was that this red-haired girl in white clothes whom he had never met before had a graceful figure and a very pretty appearance.
"Huh...are you awake? You have been sleeping for three days. When I met you, you happened to fall on the snowy field, and there were several demon wolves chasing after you."
"..." The young man leaned on his back, which was still in severe pain, and struggled to sit up and lie down on the bed. His face was as pale as his colorless hair.
"Now, are you okay?" The strange girl poured him a glass of water with concern, her words gently brushing his ears like a breeze.
"By the way, adventurer, what's your name?"
The young man remained silent.
"You haven't regained consciousness yet? Are you tired? Sigh... You must have tried your best to escape at that time."
"My... name is Al... Fangs, Alphonse." The boy opened his mouth with difficulty and reluctantly responded.
"Oh, my name is Pricia, and I am also an adventurer!"
The girl felt relieved when she saw that he could speak.
Alphonse moved his head slowly and looked around. There is a peaceful sky outside the window, and you can vaguely see the white snowfield of Bliza.
Finally his eyes fell on the mahogany calendar in front of the bedside table.
The era that Alphonse lives in is the Kingdom of Valentino, Alchemy Year 123.
